A New Future-The Serengeti Swamps
by DaDog
Summary: Enter a new future as we explore what may be beyond our species's time. We will explore and encounter species that have yet to evolve, yet may actually exist one day. We will explore a realm, so often ignored for what is in the present. Prepare to enter a new future in the Serengeti Swamps.
1. Introduction

_So yeah. I am making this merely for fun. I'm not sure whether or not to make this like a Future is Wild nature documentary story or a build a nature preserve Prehistoric Park story. I couldn't find a way to put this as a story based on the tv show in the publish section of my account, so I was forced to put it as a cartoon. :( Stupid publish thing. Anyways, I'll let you guys decide._

 **My brothers and sisters, fellow humans of all ages. We are destroying the world and it's magnificent creatures at a much faster rate than we can save and preserve them. But what if we, the most destructive creature to ever live on this great planet, were to vanish one day.**

 **In the year 2137, we create have advanced so much that we have created our own alternate dimension where food is instantly grown, water is unlimited, areas the size of your average household can be miles wide inside, and you can change the weather within to whatever you want. It is, essentially, magic.**

 **This is what my vision of the future will be like. The animals that we have hunted or needlessly imperiled too much have disappeared. Creatures like the Javan rhinoceros, leatherback sea turtle, and Amur leopard have disappeared. Introduced species have killed other creatures, like the rats have killed countless birds. However, life is still as abundant as ever on this great world.**

 **The creatures like elephants, tigers, and rhinos will flourish, mainly because the main reason they were endangered was because of hunting and habitat loss. However, with no more humans to take or hunt, they have made remarkable comebacks. Now, they are plentiful once more.**

 **Prepare for a journey to the future to explore the new creatures of the beautiful animal kingdom. We will journey into the future to see the amazing creatures of tomorrow, the present to study their relatives, and the past to view the animals that lived like them.**

 **Welcome to the future. Welcome to the place where life and death are part of the everyday cycle. Welcome to the New Dawn. The New World. The New Future.**


	2. The Serengeti Swamp

**The world is now much more humid and tropical than before, akin to the Jurassic period. Swamps cover the coastal ranges and reefs are dominant in the oceans. The Serengeti has gradually moved to the shoreline, forcing animals to evolve in new and unexpected ways. Many species of primates, hyraxes, rodents, civets, mongoose, and cetaceans live here. Thousands of tropical bird species make this place home, along with even more plant and invertebrate species. Fish species are abundant here as well. Dozens of snakes and monitors slither through the swamps and at least ninety different mangroves can be found. The environment here is similar to Eocene Egypt, but with a new twist on life…**

 **Many animals have survived this moving of habitat have adapted, while others have perished. The giraffes of the Serengeti have either moved to new habitats and evolved or perished in this strange maze of tropical mangroves. Vultures and a variety of antelope no longer are found here. Most species of modern day antelope are still alive, along with most vulture and bird species on the Serengeti, only they have migrated to the North.**

 **Indeed, in this habitat, many beautiful African species no longer are found. The rhinoceros, giraffes, vultures, lions, cheetahs, gazelles, hippopotamus, kudu, caracal, ratel, hyenas, and leopards and their descendants are no longer in the Serengeti Swamp. All of these creatures still exist, but not here. Not in this never-ending maze of mangroves.**

 **Here, cattle with some of the mightiest horns ever to exist take the place of elephants, crocodiles take the place of most pack hunters, ocean snakes take the place of crocodiles, and monkeys take the place of grazers.**


	3. Serengeti Swamp Zoological Census

**Biological Census**

Snail and Slug Species-26

Butterfly and Moth Species-103

Scorpion Species-3

Ant Species-36

Bee and Wasp Species-208

Termite Species-7

Spider Species-92

Beetle Species-61

Fly Species-20

Starfish Species-132

Sea Slug Species-49

Sea Snail Species-5

Coral Species-328

Anemone Species-7

Sponge Species-25

Squid Species-12

Octopus Species-3

Jellyfish Species-101

Centipede and Millipede Species-5

Shark Species-14

Ray Species-6

Butterfly Fish Species-37

Pufferfish Species-4

Clownfish Species-9

Angelfish Species-48

Damselfish Species-120

Eel Species-6

Cichlids Species-519

Frog Species-86

Salamander Species-4

Newt Species-0

Toad Species-8

Caecilian Species-2

Venomous Snake Species-14

Constrictor Snake Species-5

Non Venomous/Constrictor Snake Species-32

Crocodilian Species-1

Lizard Species-26

Turtle and Tortoise Species-37

Parrot Species-234

Ostrich Species-2

Seabird Species-167

Hornbill Species-65

Finch Species-376

Wading Bird Species-87

Duck Species-51

Hummingbird Species-34

Raptor Species-35

Owl Species-6

Kingfisher Species-90

Jackal Species-7

Elephant Species-2

Cetacean Species-14

Primate Species-20

Rodent Species-89

Antelope Species-46

Shrew Species-7

Zebra Species-3

Civet Species-25

Cat Species-3

Cattle Species-2

Swine Species-5

Several of the Unique Species to Live Here:

Otter Cats- a species of cat that adapted to a life in the sea instead of on land. They are two feet long and have beautiful orange and yellow pelts. Their webbed feet and flat tails are adapted to hunting the fish of the reefs and they will ambush birds from below the water. Juveniles will play with rocks and sticks floating in the water at a young age to refine their hunting skills. These are a social species, an unusual trait in felids. Adults can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes before they have to come up for air. They are descended from the beautiful serval.

Tree Banshees- a species of small gliding crocodile that lives in the trees and hunts in the roots of mangrove trees. They are a brown color and males are larger than the females by a foot. Females can grow to be four feet long. They are the apex land predators of this new and unusual ecosystem. They show remarkable intelligence, similar to an African painted dog, and even hunt in packs. Rather unusually though, they cannot swim on the surface easily, despite being crocodilians. This is because of the wing membranes that are between their legs. Instead, they go underwater and flap their wings, giving the impression of a ray flapping it's wings. They are descended from the feared Nile crocodile.

Mangrove Darters- a species of tiny antelope that lives in dens among the roots of mangrove trees. These are the main prey items of Tree Banshees and are common among the vast forests of mangroves. They are a dark black with an occasional brown morph. At two feet long, they are hardly large. Otter Cats occasionally snatch calves that are swimming across rivers or estuaries in these mangroves. Herds number at nearly two hundred and they mainly eat young trees, washed up seaweed, and the roots of mangrove trees. They're descended from the once numerous black wildebeest.

Crimson Shrimp Eaters- this is a species of bird on the edge of specialization. They have large webbed feet and short wings that aren't very good at flight. While flying, they tire easily, meaning that they are easy prey for the predator willing to chase them long enough. They are one foot tall with three foot wingspans. They eat shrimp and microscopic plankton at the edge of the water. Despite their name, they are not actually crimson but a hot purple color. They have a hard time taking off from both land and water, making it rare for one to survive past two years of age. They are fast breeders and will not pass up an opportunity to fly away from danger. They are descended from the vibrant lesser flamingo.

Short Trunked Swamp Hog- these are not actually hogs, but elephants. They can grow to be eight feet long and four feet high with two foot long trunks. Males grow tusks, some of which can grow to be four feet long. They are a grey color with a pink underbelly. Swamp Hogs generally live in herds of seven or less adults. They have no natural predators as adults, except for the occasional Rainbow Serpent. The general diet of these creatures are fallen trees, mangrove roots, seaweed, and even soft corals and sponges. They are descended from the mighty African elephant.

Rainbow Serpent- a serpent that can squeeze the life out of Short Trunked Swamp Hogs and Grove Horn Cattle, these are the rulers of the tropical oceans. With intelligence, perfect reef camouflage, and large sizes, these are undoubtedly the top predators of the ocean. Generally eating sharks and the six foot long reef dolphins, they aren't shy about snapping up anything else. They grow to be thirty feet long at max and have roughly the intelligence of an African painted dog. They have yellow, orange, green, blue, red, pink, purple, and white skin to blend in with the corals of the water. They cannot go on land because they have adapted entirely to a life in the sea. They are descended from the terrifying African rock pythons.

Coastal Zebra- this rare species of zebra stands at five feet high and nine feet long. They are the swiftest land mammals in the mangroves, easily reaching speeds of twenty miles per hour in the clearer parts. The generally stay on the shoreline where it is clear, eating washed up seaweed and shoots from trees. Their hooves are sharp and they use them to defend themselves from Tree Banshees. Their coats are brown with white stripes and they have black legs. They usually live in herds of around twelve animals. They are descended from the iconic common plains zebra.

Serengeti Reef Dolphin- the smallest cetacean of these colorful tropical oceans, these little mammals hunt the tiny fish that live in the reefs and estuaries. They're full-grown length is three feet long, making them a common prey item for predators. With black spots around their eyes and white bodies, they somewhat resemble their continually diminishing relative, the orca. They live in trios and enjoy harassing lone Otter Cats. They're descended from the still-living orca.

Giant Mangrove Turtle- a rare visitor in the mangroves, these gargantuan creatures have a lifespan of up to ninety years, making them the longest living vertebrate on the planet at this point of time. They are omnivorous, able to eat mangrove trees, seaweed, jellyfish, carcasses, and corals. The females can lay up to sixty eggs and both genders can reach ten feet across and fifteen feet long. Otter Cats occasionally rest on sleeping turtles on the shoreline, but when the turtle wakes up and starts swimming to the open ocean with the sleeping Otter Cat, the unfortunate creature is almost always as good as dead, as Otter Cats only specialize in hunting shallow water fish and actually swim poorly in open water. The Giant Mangrove Turtle is descended from the endangered green sea turtle, which is still alive and a common sight in the mangroves.

Beach Racers- these tiny two foot tall birds are common animals that never leave the beach, even when nesting or fleeing from predators. They look identical to modern baby ostriches, except for the fact that they have longer legs and longer beaks. The answer as to why they never leave the beach, even when chased by a predator, lies within their ancestors, the ostrich. They are capable of speeds of up to thirty miles per hour on land, but only on wide and open ground. Their diets consist of crabs, small fish, and any kinds of coastal seaweed, which they wade into the water to get. These are an indeed hard animal to catch for any land predator.

Grove Horn Cattle- these lumbering behemoths are the size of a modern day white rhinoceros, making them the largest native creatures in the mangroves. They have green fur, due to the algae that grows on it, and vines growing of their amazing horns. Females are smaller, but still an impressive site. They live in herds of up to thirty animals, making it suicide for any carnivore, except for Rainbow Serpents and Tree Banshees, to attack. Every year, males fight in epic battles for breeding rights, but not with each other, but the females. Their horns can reach eleven feet across, making them indeed formidable animals. Their descended from the awe-striking Cape buffalo.

Pygmy Branch Baboons- tiny three foot monkeys that enjoy fruit. These little primates scatter throughout the expansive mangrove forests, constant nomads, in search of fruit. While common, these creatures are tricky to catch, mostly because of their speed in the trees. However, while on the ground, their arboreal speed means nothing, as they had extremely long arms, like modern gibbons. Larger branch baboons live in the Ethiopian forests, and a few subspecies even smaller than normal lives on tiny islands, which create permanent territories. These tiny primates live in troops of two hundred or more, but often gain and lose members because of Tree Banshees and extremely fast breeding rates. They're descended from the omnivorous olive baboon.

River Mamba- quite unique in the snake world, this is the first herbivorous snake. This two foot long snake scrapes algae off of the bottom of trees and stones underwater and are rarely preyed upon, due to their self-defensive venom. They had evolved paddled tails to swim more efficiently and live almost all their lives underwater though they must surface for air, giving Tree Banshees a chance to swoop down upon them. They are numerous and solitary and give live birth that immediately have survival instincts. The young follow their mother for up to a year, to increase chances of survival, since adults know the best places to hide, but the adults never take care of them. They are descended from the venomous black mamba.


End file.
